Current Band members

Craig Marshall

Guitarist Craig Marshall is the last remaining original founding member of Cubensis, having started the band in 1987 after becoming dissatisfied with the Dead’s all-too-infrequent appearances in Southern California. Self-taught, he learned to play guitar by slowing down Grateful Dead records to half speed and studying Jerry Garcia’s unique style. Marshall enjoyed his first Dead show in November 1967 at the Shrine Exposition Hall in Los Angeles. His instruments are handcrafted by Godfrey Daniels Guitar Works, by luthier John Carruthers, and newly by Phred Musical Instruments, complete with electronic routing,, amplification and effects as used by the late great Jerry Garcia. Amplification is by a modded Fender Twin with a slew of floor predals including the Klon Centaur, a Q-Tron+, various products by Keeley, Analog Man, Beigel Sound Lab and many others. "All in the game, yo!" EmailFacebook

Nate LaPointe

Guitarist Nate LaPointe grew up in a musical family in Laramie, WY. His father was a record store owner and an avid Deadhead. He took 4-year-old Nate to his first Grateful Dead show at Red Rocks and the impressionable youth fell in love with the music, starting guitar lessons at age 5. By age 9 he had met Jerry Garcia, was appearing on stage at festivals, playing guitar and singing with Dead cover bands. Pursuing an education in jazz guitar, Nate moved to California to study at the California Institute of the Arts. Nate has been freelancing in Los Angeles since graduating CalArts, playing club dates, recording sessions, touring with the likes of R&B legend Bobby Womack, and teaching music. He is now in his 15th year with Cubensis, and performs on a custom-made instrument designed by Godfrey Daniels Guitar Works . EmailFacebook

Tom Ryan

At age 8, keyboardist Tom Ryan began playing trombone and trumpet in his elementary school band, and took up guitar at age 12. Around 1976, he joined some of his high school classmates in the psychedelic-edged band Liftoff, in which he played a Micro Moog synthesizer. Tom also honed his vocal technique with noted instructor Elizabeth Sabine. 1984-87 found Tom performing in Deadhead/country rock groups The Full Effect and Stunt Road. Following that, Tom toured extensively for 5 years with the legendary New Christy Minstrels and folk singer Glenn Yarbrough, playing bass and adding vocal support. Since 1995, his musical life has involved performances with songwriter Robby King and Last Train South, plus a thriving career as a solo acoustic balladeer before joining Cubensis in 2000. Email Facebook

Larry Ryan

Bassist Larry Ryan enjoys live concerts, hiking, Grateful Dead music, improvisational jamming, reggae, rock & blues! Easily the most animated member of the band, Larry has held down the bass guitar position in Cubensis since 1996. Responding to cries of “Let Larry sing!”, Ryan has been known to bust out a mean “Good Morning Little Schoolgirl” as well as “Easy Wind”. There is more than a passing resemblance to keyboardist Tom Ryan, as the two are brothers, growing up and jamming together in the San Fernando Valley and performing in Miracle Ticket and Dead Center. Email Facebook

Ed Fletcher

Besides his inspired work with Cubensis, drummer Ed Fletcher remains as one of the hardest working musicians in San Diego, now currently finalizing a second album for his original project Naked Funk with bass legend Lige Curry of Parliament/Funkadelic. "Naked Funk started as a recording project between just Lige and I,” Fletcher states, “but now, after three years of expanding and growing, and with guitar greats onboard such as Blackbyrd McKnight (Headhunters, Miles Davis, Parliament) and Jose Serrano (Santana), the band has become quite the live experience!” Fletcher also appears with San Diego’s finest, Dead tribute, the Electric Waste Band. Ed's style has been described as 'explosive'. EmailFacebook

Brad Rhodus

Drummer Brad Rhodus was born in Kansas City, KS in 1970 and grew up in Arkansas. He showed interest in playing music at the age of 6. By age 14, now living in New Jersey, he bought his first drum set and started playing in garage bands with friends. “We played 80’s metal, like Motley Crue, Iron Maiden and Judas Priest.” Brad moved to Atlanta, GA in 1989, where things went in a jazz/fusion direction. This band, Endorphin, performed opening sets for Dave Matthews Band, The Radiators, The Samples, Big Head Todd and the Monsters and Col. Bruce Hampton and the ARU. In 1997, Brad settled in Torrance, CA, and has played with some great local acts, such as Rebel Soul Band (with Rich Sheldon), Retro Transit Authority and Rum Runners, where Cubensis took notice of Brad’s approach to playing Grateful Dead and JGB music. In addition to his duties with Cubensis, Brad is a founding member of WTFB, which has opened up his eyes to the world of progressive rock. Email

John Murchison

Engineer John Murchison FOH/Production. Owner of JRM Audio and “seventh member of the band” since 2002. In the summer of 1974 he would see his 1st Grateful Dead show at Roosevelt Stadium with the Wall of Sound. After relocating to California in 1983 he found himself doing some tech work for the Dead and various spin-off bands like Kingfish, NRPS etc. John soon started his own small sound reinforcement company, providing sound systems and equipment maintenance at various venues around town. With Cubensis, he's “Trucked up the Coast” with Vince Welnick, played “Nudestock”, and provided audio engineering at more House of Blues gigs than virtually any other band. "We do a benefit show every year for the Rex Foundation, involving the crowd with Grateful Dead karaoke. Best of all, we enjoy a great fun bunch of loving fans." John is currently doing extended production (lights & projections) for Cubensis as well as sound mixing, logging close to 2500 shows now and loving every minute of it! EmailFacebook

Award winning Southern California-based artist Darrin Brenner has enjoyed a 25-year career creating amazing art, exploring a variety of mediums. Her admiration for rock pioneers such as Alton Kelly, Stanley Mouse, Rick Griffin, and Wes Wilson influenced her to begin creating the extraordinary artistry she is best known for. In addition to poster work, her prized graphic skills include concept, design and illustration for advertising, corporate identity, catalogs, packaging, brochures, flyers, t-shirts, and more. Darrin’s clients include The Rex Foundation, Moonalice, Live Nation, Cubensis, Mickey Hart, High Sierra Music Festival, as well as many other bands and commercial companies alike.EmailFacebook

Cubensis taper/archivist Wayne Stielau grew up in the beach towns of Connecticut. Having developed an interest in electronics early on, by age 12 he had acquired an amateur radio license and built his own transmitter from scrap parts. As a high schooler in 1972 he attended his first Grateful Dead show at the Palace Theater in Waterbury CT, and was introduced to concert tapers a few years later at a show in Hartford and became intrigued. Taping was always a fairly expensive sport, but a new job as an electrical engineer provided the means so in 1995 he began recording live concerts, capturing a variety of bands through the remainder of the 90s. Wayne first encountered Cubensis in 2005 at the Marlin Bar in Huntington Beach, and since then has faithfully recorded Cubensis, logging over 1500 shows which are readily available at archive.org.Email Facebook

John Enriquez, Hugo Arias, Wayne Stielau, Neal Plastik - one of the last great road crews